Fetus called as 'witness' at Ohio abortion hearing

An in-utero fetus is being called as an unconventional legislative witness at a hearing in Ohio debating a proposed bill that would make abortions illegal as soon as a fetus’ heartbeat can be detected.

Anti-abortion group Faith2Action, one of the driving forces behind pushing the bill forward, are the ones calling the 9-week-old fetus to the stand, reports Fox-8 Cleveland.

In a press release, former Legislative Director of Ohio Right to Life and current Faith2Action president Janet Porter says, “For the first time in a committee hearing, legislators will be able to see and hear the beating heart of a baby in the womb — just like the ones the Heartbeat Bill will protect.” Porter added, “When passed, the Heartbeat Bill will insure that once that heartbeat is detected, the baby is protected.” The group plans to bring an ultrasound projector to the hearing, which will “not only show that baby’s moving arms and legs, but also display — in color — the baby’s beating heart.”

Critics of the Heartbeat Bill say that even if passed, it would fail a constitutional legal challenge under Roe v. Wade because with modern technology a fetus’ heartbeat may be able to be detected predating the time a woman would even know she was pregnant.

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